Son of a Traitor
by Wolfwind97
Summary: Alex Rider has lived a life full of lies. That is, until he meets Percy Jackson, a demigod on a mission. The legendary John Rider supposedly died a traitor. Will Alex discover what secrets are held in his blood or will he die as the son of a traitor?
1. Chapter 1

AR/PJ Crossover.

**~Alex~**

Throughout my entire existence, I have only heard lies. The life I thought was real was actually a lie as well. Sure, I was still a spy for MI6, but I was something else as well. Since I first started working for Military Intelligence, I realized I was leading a double life. One part was the normalcy of a schoolboy; the other, an agent. Why can't I be just a regular teenager? I sighed as I walked down the street. A loud crash came from behind me and I had to wait for the dust to clear before I could see. A boy, about eighteen, stood in front of a monster. In his hand was a sword. I stood there for a moment, confused. _What is that? Why does that boy have a sword? Am I hallucinating? _The boy jumped to the side as the monster attacked, but it changed direction in a split second and slammed the boy into the pavement, pinning him down with one hand. The sword fell the ground a few feet away from me, then disappeared. Then, the sword stabbed through the monsters hand and the boy was free. In his hand was the sword. I wanted to run, but I also wanted to stay and watch. Curiousity eventually overruled my common sense and I stayed. Further down the street a dog ran toward the monster and the boy, then it started to change into a huge, ugly creature. It lunged at the boy, who was too busy fighting the other monster.

"Watch out!" I yelled and started to run toward the battle. The boy turned too late and the dog creature pinned him to the ground with its claws piercing skin. I could smell the stench of both monsters, but I jumped onto the dog creature's back while resisting the urge to vomit at the stench. The monster began to attempt to throw me off its back and eventually succeeded. The oxygen was knocked out of my lungs, but I moved, just in time, when the other monster nearly stepped on me. I jumped to my feet and noticed the boy stood beside me.

"Get out of here!" He yelled.

I shook my head, "Are you crazy? You'll be killed!"

"I've done this for years, just trust me!"

"No way." I stated. Then, a sixth sense warned me something was going to happen. "We have to get out of here."

"Look, it's our mission to get rid of these monsters." The boy replied, "You're a mortal, so you won't understand right away. Just go home, now."

I shook my head again, "No." He glared at me, but I continued to talk. "I'm not just an ordinary... mortal, or whatever it was. I'm not like the others."

"Other than the fact you can see Greek monsters, what else-" He was broke off by me pushing him to the pavement. The dog creature would have killed the boy if I had not reacted, but its claws hovered an inch above my face. My hand had its paw blocked, but the weight was beginning to break my arm. I growled in frustration and kicked upward with all my strength. Nothing happened, the monster stayed where it was. Then, it soared straight into the air, pushed by water. At my feet, a manhole was erupting water. Then, the boy controlled the water and brought the dog creature to his level. It was over in one stab and the monster disentegrated into golden dust. I stood up, cradling my right arm, and noticed the other monster was dead as well. The boy put a cap over the tip of the blade and it shrunk into a pen. "You okay?" He asked.

I nodded, "Who are you?"

"Percy Jackson. You?"

"Alex Rider."

He nodded, "You need to get your arm fixed. Unfortunately, I ran out of ambrosia and nectar a few days ago."

"Are you going to tell me exactly what happened or do I have to guess? I know you said you were on the mission, but who else is? And why did you call me a 'mortal'?" I asked.

He shook his head, "You ask a lot of questions. First of all, have you ever heard of the Greek myths? The ones with the gods, goddesses, and monsters? Well, they are not myths; they're real. I am half human and half god along with many other people. They are the ones that are on the mission as well. Lastly, you're a mortal because your parents are probably normal."

"My parents are dead. I never knew them." I stated.

He nodded in understanding, "Now it's my turn to ask a question. What did you mean when you said you were not like normal mortals?"

"Classified." I automatically replied, then thought about it. _This guy just told me he was a demigod, so can I tell him I'm a spy? _"It's a long story that I would rather not go into."

"Well, then, I have to go before people begin to see what happened here." He looked around for a moment, "Are there any cheap hotels here?"

"You don't even have a place to go? Fine, you can stay at my uncle's house." I replied and began to walk away, but Percy did not follow, "That is... unless you want to stay out in the cold weather." This time, he followed me.

There was a few minutes of silence before Percy interrupted, "Will your uncle care if I stay?"

"He's dead, too." I stated and continued walking, but a hand grabbed my shoulder. Before he could ask a question, I continued, "I live there with my housekeeper. Don't worry, she will not care."

We finally arrived at the house and I opened the door, "Jack?"

"Alex? You're late. What happened?" Jack asked, concern seeping from her voice.

I looked at Percy wanting him to explain, but he just shrugged. I sighed, "Um... we were attacked by a Greek mythology monster..."

She stared at us, "Come on, Alex. You can come up with a better lie than that."

"It's not a lie, Jack." I replied with a serious look on my face.

It took her a few seconds to realize I was not joking, but she did not say anything.

I broke the silence, "Jack, this is Percy."

She shook his hand, "Pleasure. Now, would you mind filling me in on this whole 'we were attacked by a Greek mythology monster' thing?"

We told her what happened and she stared awestruck for a few minutes. Then, Percy asked me something strange. "There is a camp for demigods. Since you can see and fight the monsters, I think you should go there."

"But, I'm not a demigod." I stated.

He shrugged, "We need all the help we can get right now. Monsters are appearing over the entire world and we do not have enough demigods to fight."

"What makes you think one more is going to make a difference?" I asked.

Then, Jack spoke, "The camp can not be seen by mortals, right?" Percy nodded and Jack continued, "Alex... I think you need to go to this camp. If what Percy says is true, then..."

"Then MI6 will not be able to find me." I finished. "Do you really think I should go?"

Jack nodded, "I believe you should."

I nodded and looked at Percy, "When do we leave and how do we get from here to the States?"

**~Percy~**

I laughed at Alex as Blackjack and another pegasus landed in front of us. _Hey, boss. _

"Blackjack, how many times do I have to tell you to not call me 'boss'?"

_Sorry, boss. It's a habit._

Alex was stunned for a few more moments, but then it passed. "So... This is our taxi to Camp Half-Blood?"

"Yep." I replied.

**(Hours Later)**

The pegasus' landed and Alex and I began to walk up a hill. I pointed at a tree, "That is Thalia's tree. Years ago, Thalia, daughter of Zeus, fought a herd of monsters to protect a few people. She died and Zeus turned her into a tree. A few summers ago, my friends and I found the Golden Fleece and hung it on the tree. Needless to say, Thalia came back to life."

"So, she's a walking tree?" The boy asked.

I laughed, "No, she's a human. A demigod, I should say." We passed the tree and walking into the camp, "This is Camp Half-Blood." Only then did I realize I had not invited Alex into the camp; I didn't need to. Chiron met us next to the basketball court.

"Ah, Percy, you're finally back." The centaur stated. "Who is that with you?"

I pointed over at Alex, "This is Alex Rider. He helped me when I was fighting a Minotaur and a hellhound. I think-" I was cut off by Chiron drawing his sword.

"Percy, get away from him now." Chiron ordered.

I was confused, "Why? Chiron what is-"

"Now!"

I slowly stepped to the side, but I had my hand gripped on Riptide. "What's going on?"

"He's John Rider's son... He is the son of a traitor!" Chiron replied.


	2. The Thrill of Death

**A/N: Finally, an update. Should I be updating other stories? Yes. Do I want to? Kind of. Am I? Nah, probably just this one. This month has been long and rough!**

**~Alex~**

_Son of a traitor? Does Chiron know of my father's past? Did he know John Rider? _"Wait," I stated. "A traitor of what?"

The centaur glared at me, "Your father betrayed everyone here at camp as well as the gods and goddesses!"

"How?" I asked. "Look, I am completely confused. I didn't even know my father and now I learn a creature that is not even supposed to exist knew about him."

Chiron glared at my last remark, "You don't know anything?"

"If I did, I would not be asking questions." I stated.

Percy stepped forward a little bit, "Chiron, even I have no clue what you're talking about."

"His father, John Rider, attempted to bring the Titans back nearly sixteen years ago. He was a demigod, one of the best. That is, until he began to form an army loyal to the Titans. The army attacked this camp first, we were lucky to survive. However, more people came. At first, we thought they were going to attack, but they just put John Rider in a helicopter and flew away. John Rider never came back." He glared at me, "And you're a spitting image of him. Has he sent you to finish his job?"

I glared at him, "He's dead, so do you think I can 'finish his job'? I didn't even know gods, goddesses, demigods, and the others even existed before today."

Chiron stared, "John Rider, dead. Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty sure I would know if my own father was dead." I stated.

"How can we trust you? How do we know you're following in your father's footsteps or not?" Chiron asked.

I didn't even think about what I was saying, "Considering I have saved the world countless times, then I believe I am not a traitor." _Oops, I should not have said that..._

Percy glanced at me, "Saved the world?"

_I really should have kept my mouth shut. _

"What are you hiding?" Chiron asked.

I sighed, "Look, I did follow my father's footsteps in some ways. However, I am not a traitor. Just trust me on that. If you can ever trust me, believe that I am not exactly like my father. I'm his son, therefore, I should not be judged because of what he done years ago, probably before I was born."

Chiron put his sword down. "I'll believe you for now, Rider. However, if you betray us, you will die a horrible death." He walked away.

Percy looked over at me, "You okay?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

He continued, "Considering you nearly had your head chopped off, I figured you were probably in shock. Now, come on, I'll show you around the camp."

"You trust me?"

He shrugged, "Yeah. You still saved my life, so I guess trusting you will not be a bad decision. Just try not to get into too many battles today."

"Battles? What do you mean?" I asked.

He sighed, "I think I just jinxed you."

Right after he said that, a vioce rang out. "Look, it's a new kid."

I turned around, "Who is that?"

Percy sighed, "That would be Clark, Samuel, Chase, and Darrell, children of Ares."

I stopped, "Wait. The god of war Ares?"

He nodded, "Yep, and they are not great on welcoming new campers."

"I can tell." I said and a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Hey, new kid. Where do you think you're going?" The biggest one asked.

I jerked my shoulder out of his grip, "Away from you." I started to walk away. Then, I heard a sword being drawn. "Are you really going to attack a defenseless kid?"

"You better find a sword or you're going to end up in the infimary for months." One of them threatened.

Percy borrowed a sword from one of the kids that was standing by watching the confrontation. He gave the sword to me and I faced the Ares campers. "I have a sword, so which one of you is first?"

The one that grabbed my shoulder earlier suddenly charged at me and swung his sword. I ducked to keep my head on my shoulders. The boy continued to swing the sword, each time I dodged. Then, I tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground onto my back. The sword began its decent toward my chest and my bullet wound flashed in pain for a brief second. Then, I rolled out of the way before the blade dug into my chest. I realized my instincts were beginning to take over, which was not good in a small fight like this. I jumped to my feet and dropped the sword, not wanting to hurt anybody. I raised my hands in defeat, but they all attacked at once. I was without a weapon and standing on a cliff overlooking a lot of sharp rocks. The swords were coming closer and I could not run anywhere. So, I done the only think I could think of. I dropped to the ground and lunged at my attackers. They were all off balance, but one swung his sword. It cut my chest and split open the healing bullet wound. I fell to my knees and held my chest. The Ares campers surrounded me, "Do you give up already? You're weak!" They kicked me in the ribs and sent me flying... over the edge of the cliff. Now, I was falling fullspeed and headfirst toward the sharp rocks that lay thirty feet below.


	3. A Strange Sign

**A/N: I know I should have updated earlier, but I have final exams coming up and I have to read **_**Jane Eyre **_**for my honors english class (it has to be finished before May 29th), so I have been extremely busy lately. However, after school goes out, I will be updating more, so stay on , sorry for the short chapter, the next one will be longer! I still have to think about this whole story and the characters' reactions after this chapter, so message me on something you want to happen! Lastly, I give my thanks to everybody who has favorited, alerted, reviewed, and read this story!**

**~Percy~**

I watched as Alex fell over the edge, but I was too shocked to even move; I was paralyzed. Time seemed to slow down, but I managed to walk to the edge a few seconds later. I wanted to see if he was still alive, yet I did not want to see a body lying on the sharp rocks thirty feet below; there was no way the kid could have survived. However, I walked over to the edge anyway and looked down. In the middle of a large crater Alex's body lied there. Dozens of campers were watching with shocked emotions gleaming in their eyes. I turned my head away from the sight of the dead teen. Chiron came galloping toward us, asking us what happened.

I stated bluntly. "Alex Rider fell of the cliff and landed on the rocks." I began walking down a path leading to the rocky surface thirty feet below and I went to the body. Blood seeped from a wound in the teen's forehead and his eyes were closed.I climbed over the rocks to make sure he was truly dead. When I was closer to the teen, I could see his chest was not moving. Alex Rider was dead.

Chiron stood at the base of the rocks, watching with no emotion showing on his face. I could tell he would have never trusted Alex. I looked at the teen once more and noticed he wore a necklace. Something was strange about it, but I could not figure out what it was.

"Percy," Chiron stated. "We need to talk."

I nodded and went back to Chiron. A few more campers went to retrieve Alex's body.

"Percy, you know I did not trust him, but..." Chiron stopped when on of the camper's screamed in fright. I whirled around and drew Riptide from my pocket, but I realized there was no enemy.

I was stunned, "How..." There, in the middle of the crater, stood Alex. Blood dripped down his forehead, but he was very much alive. Over his head there was a symbol I recognized, but never seen before. In facts, there were two combined symbols over the teen's head. It was an owl holding a trident glowing in a color between silver and green. "Chiron, what does this mean?"

"Both Poseidon and Athena claimed him..." Chiron stated to himself. "His father was a disowned son of Poseidon, his mother could have been a daughter of Athena. It's the only solution... I have never seen anything like this."

The teen stared at us, "What?" Then he looked up and saw the symbol. "I'm assuming I'm in a lot of trouble right now..."

I still could not believe three things: one, Alex was alive, two, both Poseidon _and _Athena claimed him, and three, my father had another demigod other than me.

**Give me some ideas on what can happen next! Message me, please and thank you!**


	4. The Oracle's Prophecy

**A/N: So, I know I promised this chapter was going to be long, but it's not... Wait, don't vow to kill me yet, because I am going to be updating my stories more frequently after the 24th. School will be out by then. I have been extremely busy with finals coming up and I just finished taking the dreaded Westest. This year has been rough, but I thank everybody who has had enough patience to deal with these irregular and short updates!**

**~Alex~**

"What does this mean, exactly?" I asked and pointed to the fading symbol above my head. Everybody was staring at me in shock and horror. It was as if they knew I was a dangerous person and had just found out what my whole life has been like. In otherwords, I was confused and terrified, because I did not want them to know my 'job occupation'.

Chiron stepped forward, "We'll talk later. Right now, we have to go to the Big House and try to figure out what to do next."

I hesitated. The centaur wanted to kill me earlier, so why was there concern gleaming in his eyes? Believeing I was only being paranoid, I followed Chiron and Percy to the Big House. When we walked inside, I saw a man sitting in a chair wearing a leopard robe. I knew immediately I would never take this man seriously. In all honesty, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at his apparel. The man turned to look at me, hate gleaming in his eyes. "Great. A decendant of Athena _and _Poseidon; this is going to be interesting." The man stated. I disliked him in a heartbeat.

"Alex, this is Mr. D." Chrion stated. "I'll forewarn you, don't get on his bad side."

I glanced up at him with a look of mock surprise, "He actually has a good side? His first impression was terrible."

Mr. D. glared at me, "Watch it, kid. You're lucky I have not turned you into an animal or whatever yet."

Percy sighed, "Don't worry too much. Dionysus is like this all the time."

"Dionysus? The wine dude?" I asked.

Needless to say, the wine god was infuriated. "DO NOT CALL ME 'THE WINE DUDE'!"

I did not dare move, because I figured an angry god wasn't a good sight.

"Alex, go up in the attic to the Oracle." Chrion commanded.

"The Oracle?" I asked.

Percy walked toward the attic stairs, "I'll show you." I followed him and he pointed to a creepy staute-like thing in the corner. "That's the Oracle. Come back downstairs after you finished talking to her."

I was confused, "Talking?"

"You'll find out." Percy stated and climbed back downstairs.

I was left alone with the Oracle. After a heartbeat of hesitation, I walked over to her, it, whatever you want to call it . I stood there, not knowing what to say. "Um... why am I supposed to talk to a mummy-like thing?"

The Oracle's mouth dropped open and a green smoke spilled out. A voice echoed around me:

_The journey of a thousand miles,_

_Begins by retrieving the demigod with wisdom that runs through water filled veins._

_The night will be vile,_

_When the creature breaks free from his chains._

_On your struggle toward defeat,_

_You shall not be alone._

_You will be betrayed by one discrete,_

_The rightful heir will regain the throne._

The voice faded when the green smoke vanished, but I was glad. What I had just experianced chilled me to the bone, but I found the strength to get downstairs. The others looked at me expectantly. I repeated what the voice had stated and they had troubled looks on their faces.

"The first part of the prophecy is already complete." Chiron stated. "It's the rest we have to worry about."

I finally cut in their conversation, "The part I'm worried about is 'when the creature breaks free from his chains'. And 'you will be betrayed by one discrete'. Any ideas?"

Chrion shook his head, "No. Everything has been pretty quiet lately."

"What about 'on your struggle toward defeat'? Does that mean the quest is going to fail regardless what we do?" Percy asked.

"I don't know." Chrion stated and looked at me, "Do you accept this quest?"

"Do I have another choice?" I asked. Chrion shook his head. I sighed, "Okay, I'll do it." _How come this sounds like I am going on a mission for MI6? _

Chiron nodded, "Who are you going to take with you?"

"I'll go." Percy stated.

"Me too." A disembodied voice answered.

I looked around, trying to figure out who was talking.

Percy laughed, "I figured you would want to come, wise girl."

A blonde appeaered out of nowhere, holding a cap in her hands, "Of course, Seaweed Brain, I'm not going to let you have all the glory."

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"One week." Chrion replied. "That way, you can get a little bit of training in."

I nodded, "Well, let's train." _Hope it's not as bad as Brecon Beacons!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: No I am not dead... Sorry I have not updated in a while, but I've been pretty busy lately and my poer was out. Anyway, so do I really have to do a disclaimer, because I hate doing them. You do know I do not own Alex Rider or Percy Jackson, right? So, now that's over with, on with the story. Oh, and have you noticed the point of views are going in order?**

**~Percy~**

The morning after Alex was claimed, he began his training. He was extremely fit, so he was able to do nearly all of the camp activities without a problem. As the best swordman in the camp, I had to teach him how to fight with a sword. Soon, he was able to fight me for nearly fifteen minutes before I found a way to defeat him; he was going to be the second best fighter from what I could see. Annabeth tried to teach him how to fight with daggers, but that didn't work out. So, Alex stuck to using a sword.

"You're going to need all the training you can get." I said.

Alex looked at me confused, "I know, but you make it sound like something's going to happen here soon."

I nodded, "Tomorrow, actually. It's a game called Capture the Flag."

"So... you have to get a flag?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, but there will be guards and people on the offense that you have to get through." I stated.

Alex looked up, "Wait, we have to fight to get the flag?"

I nodded again, "Yeah. Don't worry, nobody has died since I've been here. You just have to watch what you're doing, though. People get hurt, but they usually only stay in the infirmary for less than a week."

I saw him pale, "Look... I'm not the type to fight another camper over a flag..."

"That's why you don't hurt them badly." I replied.

Alex looked like he was going to say something else, but he changed his mind.

I sighed, "If you don't want to fight, then I can find another job for you. Athena cabin has struck an alliance with Poseidon, Hermes, and Hephaestus. The other cabins are against us. I'll talk to Annabeth and see if we can place you away from the main battle."

The boy nodded, "It's not that I'm afraid, I just don't want to hurt anybody."

I understood, but I could tell he wasn't telling the full truth. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. Besides, with the little training you have, I'd be surprised if you could defeat a few campers from the Ares cabin, no offense."

"None taken." Alex stated, "Fighting over a flag, though? Seriously? Why not just hold back and send somebody in to get it?"

I shrugged, "You forgot about the guards. They protect the flag the whole time, so it usually takes about two or three campers just to get to the flag."

"Diversion." Alex stated simply.

I looked at him, "What do you mean 'diversion'?"

"I mean, some campers get the attention of the guards while another camper gets the flag." Alex said. "You probably don't even have to fight or even get around them. Set off a smoke bomb or something a little way away from them. While their focused on that, somebody can get the flag and leave without them knowing what happened."

I looked at him, "Do you know how hard that would be? If one of the guards turn around, then that person getting the flag is cornered."

Alex shrugged, "That's when you fight."

In all honesty, I thought it was impossible, but if we could pull it off, it would be a pretty neat tactic. "Come on, we're going to talk to Annabeth."

***The Next Day***

"You sure you're up to this?" I asked.

Alex nodded, "For the hundreth time, yes. It'll be easy! Sneak around the guards, get the flag, then get over the boundary line. Piece of cake."

I wanted to ask him how he thought this would be a piece of cake, but Capture the Flag started before I could even ask. Our large group broke into three groups, one went forward, one went left, and the other went right. Annabeth was with the group that went left, I was with the one that went right. My group ran through the woods then made a sharp left. Now we were heading to where the flag was. I slowed down and the others did as well. We waited until we heard the chaotic noise of battle before we continued. Alex was beside me, "Now's your chance." I said. He nodded and began to move closer to the battle; I lost sight of him. Then, he reappeared a few minutes later. The guards has their back to Alex and he slowly stalked toward Zeus' Fist to retrieve the flag. He began to climb up the rocks and eventually grabbed the flag. Then, he quietly climbed down the rocks. He would have succeeded to if the fart arrow didn't hit by his feet. After the foul-smelling fog cleared, I could see Alex, and he was surrounded.

**~Alex~**

After the smoke cleared, I could see I was surrounded through a blurry haze. My eyes watered and burned from the smoke, but I tried to focus on the task ahead. Four campers surrounded me and I looked for a way out without fighting them. I raised my sword and lunged backward at the same time. The camper behind me yelled in shock when I jumped past him. Fortunately, I was close to the ground, so the impact wasn't hard. Unfortunately, the campers began to attack. I regained my balance in a second, then ran past the battle, toward the boundary line. I ran with all my speed, dodging trees and bushes, but my pursuers were quickly catching up. A fallen tree blocked my path, but I jumped over it with ease. The boundary line was just ahead now, but, before I made it over the boundary, a sword slashed my shoulder. I whirled around to defend myself, but realized my mistake too late. The camper in front of me swung his sword again and I tripped while trying to block the attack. After regaining my balance, I saw the other campers, my team, running to join me. Then, the four campers attacked. I blocked and dodged as much as I could while trying to get over the boundary line. A loud crack of thunder made everybody stop in their tracks. I looked up and saw the sky was pitch black with thunderclouds and lightning streaked the air. Chiron ran, sorry, galloped to us, fear evident in his eyes. "The gods are under attack."


	6. A Newfound Trust and Fault Lines

**A/N: Haven't updated in a while... Been extremely busy! **

**~Percy~**

I stared at Chiron for a moment, not believing what I heard. Annabeth was right beside me and recovered from shock first, "By who?"

Chrion shrugged, "I don't know, but we must prepare for battle." He looked at everybody, "All of us has to help, but..."

"By the time we get there it may be too late." I stated.

He nodded, "Everybody grab all the weapons you can carry. We leave in ten minutes." Every camper bolted to find weapons, shields, helmets, anything that they could fight and defend themselves with. Riptide rested in my hand and I grabbed a spare shield that lay on the ground. Chiron came up to me, "Percy. I know I shouldn't ask this from you, but get Blackjack and go to Mount Olympus. The gods need as much help as they can get. Take whoever you want with you, but stay alive."

I nodded, "Alright." I turned to Annabeth, "Wise Girl?"

"You know I'm going, Seaweed Brain." She stated, a sword in one hand, shield in the other.

"Clarisse?" I asked.

She smiled evilly, "I'm the daughter of Ares, of course. Just don't expect me to save your butt."

"I wasn't expecting you to." I said. After asking a few more people, everything was set; we were ready to go. We ran to the pegasi stables and I got Blackjack.

_Hey, boss, what's going on? _Blackjack asked.

"The gods are under attack. We need to get to Olympus right now." I replied.

Blackjack didn't hesitate. He shot into the sky and we were on our way to the Empire State Building, also known as the entrance to Olympus. Everybody else was following behind, ready for the battle that was about to come.

**~Alex~**

A few minutes after Percy and the others left, the camp was attacked. Monsters I had never seen or imagined seemed to rise from the dust and ashes of their already fallen comrades. I swung my sword every time I saw one and blocked with the shield when on came too close. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, making every swing of my sword seem stronger. Other campers around me were fighting boldly and honorably. The campers that were still standing fought to protect their fallen comrades, the same as I was doing. I could tell they had never fought creatures like this before and I wondered what they were. In my periphreal vision, I saw one of the Ares campers, Darrell, fall to the ground disarmed with no shield. I ran over and jumped in front of him just in time for the creatures claws to clash with my sword. Darrell stared at me for a second, dumbstruck and in pain from a long gash on his side. "What are you doing? Get out of the way!" I ordered and the Ares camper went scrambling away. I was left to face the monster, alone. I glared at it and a shrill, angry cry erupted from it's lungs. I pushed against my sword and sent it stumbling backward. I dashed forward and stabbed it in the chest. The monster shrieked before it disappeared in an acidic pool on the ground. I stared for a minute, then was attacked from behind. I managed to kick the monster away, but I was weaponless. Frustration and determination ripped through my heart and a large crack appeared underneath the creature and the ground seemed to swallow it before the ground sealed itself. I then realized this was one of my demigod powers and I smiled, wondering how big of a fault line I could make. Chiron was fighting a few meters away and I bolted to him, "Chiron! Get everyone to the infirmary now!"

"What are you going to do?" He asked, suspicion shining in his eyes.

"I'm going to end this." I stated.

**~Chiron~**

I had heard the same words from John Rider once. I had seen the same look in John Rider's eyes as well. Determination and willpower raged in Alex's eyes, as well as the hope of being accepted and trusted. _Is he really the son of John Rider? What makes this child so eager to save everyone here? _I pushed these thoughts aside and nodded my head. Then, I raised my voice, "Everyone get to the infirmary now!" I looked back down at Alex, "I don't know what you're going to do, but try to not die."

"I'm not going to die. I'm going to earn your trust." Alex stated and ran to the frontlines of the battle. _Kid, I don't know your intentions, but... stay safe. We don't need to lose another life today._

**~Percy~**

We finally made it to Mount Olympus, but the battle was already over. The gods were left exhausted from the battle and the destruction was devastating. When I saw my father, I ran over to him, "Dad. What happened? Who attacked you?"

He looked up at me, "Percy. You finally made it. It was Gukumatz and some other gods and goddesses following him."

"Gukumatz? Who is that?" I asked.

"He's the Mayan god of fire, earth, air, and water. Somehow, their stronger than us." Poseidon said.

I sighed, "What do we do now?"

"We prepared for another war." Dad stated.

**~Alex~**

After making sure everybody was out of harms way, I faced the small army of monsters. I built up strength in my heart, mind, and soul as the army rushed toward me. I closed my eyes and prayed. _Dad, mom, Poseidon, Athena, any other god that may be watching over me... lend me your strength. _The monsters drew nearer and I opened my eyes. Lifting my hands, I heard and felt the earth tremble. In front of me, a large crack opened up. Using all my strenth and energy, I made the crack larger. The enemy finally realized what I was doing, but they weren't fast enough. Soon nearly every monster fell into the earth and was swallowed up. I fell to my knees, exhausted. The remaining monsters lunged toward me and I tried to get back on my feet. Just before I was about to become lunchmeat, a wave of water and a charge of electricity killed the monsters on impact. I looked to my left and saw a lot of people with Percy and the others. At that moment, I knew these were the gods and goddesses. A wave of darkness engulfed my mind like a tidal wave and I collapsed into unconsciousness. The last think I saw was the two gods I knew had to be Poseidon and Athena.


	7. Alliances and a History Lesson

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for not updating sooner! Please, bear with me! My mom had to have surgery, I have a busy schedule, and school is back, meaning buttloads off homework! I promise I will update stories on the weekends and weekdays (if I can, depends on how much homework I have. Being in Honors/AP classes is not easy)! So, thanks for being so patient and know I stayed up to write this even though I am exhausted! **

**~Poseidon~**

I walked over to the collapsed teen who was surrounded by a few other campers, including my son. Worry cut the atmosphere like a double-edged blade and I tried to comfort them. "He's just exhausted and needs some rest."

"He needs to go to the infirmary." A child of Hermes stated.

I shook my head, "His wounds are already healed."

The campers looked confused, "How?" They asked.

"He uses energy from the ground and water in his body to heal himself." I stated simply, "It's a rare quality, but very useful."

Athena cut in, "Also, he has my blessing. Therefore, his wounds can heal more rapidly."

I nodded my head, agreeing with the goddess of wisdom. The other campers stared at me for a few seconds before two of them practically dragged the unconscious teen into the infirmary. Only then did I realize some of the campers were on their knees, bowing to us respectfully.

"Rise." Zeus stated, "Know this, from today we are allies in this battle. There is no need to show us respect as of right now. We all share the same army, we have the same enemy. The importance of your lives are the same as ours-"

I stared at my brother along with the other Olympians, surprised at his words, but I did not interrupt his speech.

"The Maya gods are our enemy, especially Gukumatz, the god of fire, earth, air, and water. Fight with us, as one, to defeat this enemy and you will be rewarded. Betray us, however, the only reward you will receive is a quick death. Do you all accept and understand?" Zeus finished.

The campers nodded their heads in understanding, none of them thinking about betraying their comrades. Every one of these campers were loyal to one another, even though some of the godly parents are rivals. Zeus said something about battle preparations and the campers, as well as the gods, spread out among groups, doing whatever they could to prepare for upcoming battles. Before I could take a step, Percy's voice stopped me. "You owe me some answers."

I sighed and looked at him, "Alright, let's go to the lake."

**~Annabeth~**

I was trying to come up with a battle strategy when my mother began to talk to me, "How have you been, Annabeth?"

"Other than nearly being killed by monsters every once in a while, great." I said, trying to think again.

Athena smiled, "How are you and the son of Poseidon doing?"

I looked at her, "Fine... Why do you ask?"

She smiled as if she knew something I didn't, "Oh, nothing. However, if he ever lays a hand on you I'll-"

I interrupted her, "Blast him to bits. I know, mom, but Percy isn't the type to do that."

Athena sighed, "I just don't want to see your heart broken again. It's a mother's duty to worry after all."

Sighing, I said, "Mom, Luke is gone. Forever. He's never coming back. Percy is the right one for me, it just took me a while to see it." There was a moment of silence, but I broke it. "Anyway, we're not here to talk about Percy. We have to come up with strategies."

My mother smiled, "There's the Annabeth I know. So, what are you planning right now?"

"How to find the Mayan gods, of course." I stated with a smile. "After all, if we don't know their position, we have to wait for them to attack."

Athena nodded, "Very well. We better start planning."

**~Alex~**

The first thing I thought when I woke up is, _This is the worst headache ever! _I sat up slowly, still exhausted from earlier. Somebody walked past me, "Excuse me, how long have I been out?"

"Nearly thirty minutes or so." The girl stated and went back to another patient.

I sat there for a few minutes, before attempting to rise to my feet, grabbing the matress for support. I walked out the infirmary in a sluggish pace and looked at the damage inflicted upon the camp. Training courses were demolished, trees were on the ground, and there was the faultline I caused. _No wonder I passed out... _I thought to myself, then went on my way to Chiron, who was helping with repairs. "Chiron."

The centaur looked at me, "Alex, you're awake! How do you feel?"

"Like my head is going to explode, but I've had worse. What happened after the gods and goddesses came?" I asked.

"Zeus made a speech about the demigods joining the gods in the upcoming battles. Apparently, the Mayan gods are the ones who caused this." Chiron reported.

I sighed, "Greek gods, Roman gods, Mayan gods... what's next?"

"I don't know, but we have to prepare. Take the rest of the day off, Alex. Tomorrow, you can help us with the battle preparations." Chiron stated.

I nodded my head, not refusing the offer to rest. "Okay. Thanks, Chiron."

He looked confused, "For what?" However, I pretended to not hear him and walked toward my cabin, exhaustion coarsing through my body. _I really need to learn how to control these powers._

**~Percy~**

I sat down on the bank next to my dad, waiting for him to start talking. "I guess you want to know everything about Alex?"

"Yeah," I said and nodded, "How did both you and Athena claim him?"

He sighed, "I may as well tell you the entire story. However, Percy, what I say is only between me and you. Chiron knows about it, too, but even he is sworn to secrecy." I nodded my head in understanding and he continued, "I had another demigod son, John Rider. He trained here at Camp Half-Blood and was a strong demigod. Eventually, him and Helen, a daughter of Athena, fell in love. They were just like you and Annabeth are now, they didn't care about their parents being rivals. John Rider was the strongest demigod here and Helen was the wisest. However, a secret Britain agency found out about him and wanted to use his abilities for their personal gain. They met him in this same spot where we're sitting and threatened him."

I interrupted him, "How did they get in?"

"They were invited," Poseidon stated. "Anyway, they gave John two choices: join them or watch the other campers die. John agreed to join them to protect his friends, but he had to make it look like he was a traitor by attacking them. Chiron was here at the time and Chiron watched as John cut down his friends. John didn't kill anybody, but he made sure they were either to wounded to fight or unconscious to keep them out of the battle. He left in a helicopter and nobody saw him since, except for me. I watched over him to see how he was doing with the agency. Even though they wanted him to use his abilities, the demigod didn't; he relied on instinct and skill alone." Dad paused for a minute to see if I was following along, "Months after John left the camp, Helen tracked him down. She believed he wasn't a traitor and she was right. A few years after that, they married and had a son."

"Alex." I stated, for it wasn't a question.

He nodded, "They were happy, but their happiness soon ended. John and Helen boarded a plane after faking their deaths to start a new life and it exploded, killing them instantly. Alex didn't board the plane because he had an ear infection, that is the only reason he is still alive. Chiron still believes John died a traitor to the camp after seeing him injuring his comrades that day and he will proabaly always believe that. To Chiron, seeing is believing."

I took all this information in, "So, Alex is your grandson?"

"Yes." My dad stated.

"Why did this agency want John in the first place?" I asked.

Poseidon looked out over the lake, "The one thing most people want: power. With a demigod's power, that agency would be unstoppable."

"Unstoppable? What did this agnecy do?"

"They hold some of Britain's, and the world's, greatest spies. They are close to the CIA here in America, but they have surpassed the CIA by far in mission successes. Remeber, Percy, this conversation is to remain between me and you only. If it gets out, it's hard to tell what would happen." My dad stated and I promised I wouldn't tell anyone.

"How did they know about Camp Half-Blood?" I asked.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Nobody knows. There could have been a true traitor among us or there could be another demigod in the agency. That is something we have never been able to find out and it's too far in the past to be worth digging up again."

There was nothing but silence between us now as my father and I looked out over the lake, both of us wondering what was going to happen next.

**A/N: So, this is really just a filler chapter, but it has a purpose. It reveals how John is a 'traitor'. Now, what do you think will happen next? Will Alex still be known as the 'son of a traitor' or will he prove his loyaly if he hasn't already? Will you review? It's up to you!**


	8. Promise and the Quest

**A/N: Terribly sorry for not updating in a while! I was right on the whole homework situation. I have a HUGE english project to complete and I have no clue when it's due. So, anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**~Alex~**

I listened to Poseidon's coversation with Percy, shocked at the new discovery. _My dad done that to protect his friends and nobody can see what he really sacrificed? The only person who believed he wasn't a traitor was my mother, because she searched for him. Well, maybe the gods, too, but the gods know nearly everything, right? _All these thoughts went through my head quickly as I hid behind a tree, waiting to see if anything else was going to be said about my father. Then, I noticed Percy was leaving after saying he needed to help the others rebuild the destroyed parts of the camp. Luckily, Percy walked away from me, so I wasn't seen. When Percy was out of my sight, I turned to see if Poseidon was about to leave... only to realize he was already gone. In that moment, I felt cold metal pressed against my throat. "You need to be wiser when it comes to eavesdropping."

I didn't move until the knife was pulled away from my throat, "How did you do that? I didn't even hear you."

Poseidon laughed, "Of course you didn't. I'm a god!"

I didn't really see anything funny about it. "What you said about my father, is it true?"

The god nodded his head, "Yes, it's true."

_Then... MI6, they caused everything... My dad could have lived happily fighting monsters here at this camp, but MI6 had to take that away from him? _I sighed. _I can't believe I've worked for them._

Poseidon spoke, "I know about your involvement with MI6, but don't worry," He continued when I glanced at him, alarmed. "I know your being blackmailed into it. The same happened to John, too."

"So they know Camp Half-Blood is here. They can come for me at any time?" I asked.

The god nodded, "They've already began to move."

"They're coming for me?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." He stated. "You're just like John. That look in your eyes shows you've been through a lot. I've watched you over the years and I have seen what has happened on missions. I'm not going to judge you based on them, but I do know you're a good kid at heart. A worthy decendant of Poseidon."

I took all this in, "Thank you, sir. But, please, can I ask a favor?"

Poseidon looked interested, "What is it?"

"Teach me everything you know about fighting and how to control these powers." I stated.

The god looked at me, his eyes filled with sorrow from a memory. "Your father asked me the same thing and I'll tell you the same as I told him. Power comes from the skills and heart of the demigod. You cannot be taught how to control your powers, because every demigod is different. Fighting skills comes from experience and instinct. For you, Alex, you're holding back your skills. You're afraid of hurting someone innocent, someone you care about. When the time comes, you'll realize you have to unleash all your power and strength in order to protect yourself and others. Only when that time comes will you know how far your powers extend."

"A simple 'I can not teach you' would have been nice." I stated, but still took in the information.

Poseidon smiled, "Don't hold back, Alex. That's what killed John in the end. He held back and let his guard down against his enemies." He began to walk away, "Now, you should rest. Tomorrow is going to be a hectic day."

***The Next Morning***

Percy woke me up early, "Come on. Chiron needs to see us."

Confused, I got ready and followed Percy to the Big House where Chiron awaited us. Percy opened the door and we went inside to another room. Sitting in a seat was Mr. D and standing on his hooves was Chiron. I figured Mr. D would at least look up, but he was too busy staring at his can of Diet Coke. Chiron greeted us and motioned for us to sit down. I took my seat in a comfortable chair and waited to hear what Chiron had to say.

Finally, he began, "Percy, you probably already know why I have brought you here."

"Usually, it's giving me a quest. Am I right?"

Chiron nodded, "Yes, you're right." He turned to face me, "Do you remember the prophecy you received from the Oracle?"

I nodded, "_The journey of a thousand miles,_ _begins by retrieving the demigod with wisdom that runs through water filled veins._ _The night will be vile,_ w_hen the creature breaks free from his chains._ _On your struggle toward defeat,_ y_ou shall not be alone._ _You will be betrayed by one discrete,_ t_he rightful heir will regain the throne._"

"Exactly. It's time for you to start your mission. Percy and Annabeth has already agreed to accompany you and you should set out as soon as you can. Remember the prophecy well, young demigods, because these are hard times and I need you to complete this quest as soon as you can. We need you all back here to prepare for battle." Chiron stated.

Percy nodded in understanding, "If the creature is the Mayan gods, I think that part of the prophecy is covered."

"But it says 'the night will be vile', we were attacked during the daytime." I stated. "So does that mean we still have bigger things to worry about?" I asked.

Chiron nodded, "I think so."

"'You will be betrayed by one discrete'... There's a traitor somewhere, probably among us." Percy continued.

"The Mayan gods want to take over Olympus. 'The rightful heir will regain the throne' means there's going to be a battle for power." Chiron stated. "Even if this mission is successful, there will still be a battle."

I sighed, "Then why do we even have to go on this quest if there's still going to be a battle?"

Chrion shrugged, "That's up to the Fate's to decide." Percy and I rose to out feet, "Be on your way and I wish you all a safe journey." Percy and I nodded, making our way out the door, but Chiron's voice stopped me. "Alex. Stay behind for a second." I nodded and motioned for Percy to get Annabeth. When Percy left, I waited for Chiron to speak. "If you betray us, remember, I will not hesitate to kill you."

"Chiron, I can't help the way you see my father, but I've never met him. He died when I was a baby. I may look like him and maybe even act like him, but I'm not him. I know about the whole him betraying everybody situation. He didn't do it because he wanted to, he was forced to. I'm not going to betray anybody, I'll bring Percy and Annabeth back safe in time to fight alongside the gods and Camp Half-Blood in the final battle. I promise you that." I finished.

The centaur looked surprised, "I should hope so."

I took this as a sign to leave and I went to the cabin to pack a few things, then met my two friends in front of Athena's cabin.

"Ready?" Annabeth asked.

I made sure I had everything I thought I needed, "As I'll ever be."

"Alex." A voice called out to me. When I turned around, I saw Poseidon walking toward me. He handed me a sword, lightweight with a sharp, celestial bronze blade. "Carved in the blade is the phrase, 'Πτώση σε σχέση με το σώμα'"

To my surprise, I was able to translate it, "Fall to the Earth."

Poseidon nodded, "It was your father's sword. It was confiscated before he left Camp Half-Blood."

I nodded in understanding, "Thank you." Quickly, I turned to the others, seeing if they were ready. They both nodded and I smiled. The three of us walked out of Camp Half-Blood, bringing a start to the quest. _Are we going to succeed or will we be defeated like the prophecy said?_


	9. Invisible Strike

**A/N: On with the story.**

**~Percy~**

I cursed the luck of demigods. Why? Because hours after we left Camp Half-Blood, we were attacked.

"Do either of you know where we're going?" Alex asked.

I shook my head, "No and the prophecy doesn't really say."

Annabeth cut in, "Well, the Mayans were located in Central America, so let's just-"

I interrupted her, "Go to the center?"

She nodded, "I was going to say let's go to Lebanon, Kansas. It's close to the center of the United States."

It sounded fine with Alex and I, so we began our long walk to Kansas. Why didn't we simply get Blackjack and a few of his friends to give us a list to Kansas? Well, we figured the camp needed all the help it could get, including the pegasi. However, we eventually managed to get on a bus. At first, Annabeth and I were weary of the bus.

Alex had taken a step on the bus and looked back at us, "You coming?"

I looked at Annabeth before climbing into the bus, "We've had bad experiences with buses."

Alex had a questioning look on his face, but he didn't say anything. Instead, we rode the bus until every pasanger got off the bus at the next station. I was worried about my friends at camp and wished there was a way to make this journey faster than this. We began to walk the small distance to the next bus station when we noticed all the lights were off.

"Uh, is it closed?" Alex asked. After he said that, a spear embedded itself in the ground next to Alex's feet, "Guess not."

We readied our weapons and waited for the next attack. A laugh broke out in the distance, "Foolish children. Put down those weapons." A man stepped out of the darkness and I froze.

"Uh, Ares? What the Tartarus happened to you?" I asked.

The man's eyes glowed red with rage, "I am not Ares! Don't ever speak of that cursed Greek name! I am the Mayan god of war, Nacon!"

Alex cleared his throat, "Okay, Nacon. If you could just let us through and not throw another spear at us, we'll just continue living. Sound good?"

"How dare you try to bribe me!" Nacon yelled.

Alex shook his head, "I didn't bribe you. I just asked you to let us through."

"You shall not get through!" Nacon stated.

I sighed, "Seriously? Nobody uses 'shall' anymore. Keep up with the modern times Bacon."

The Mayan god of war charged, "It's Nacon!" In the god's hand appeared a long sword, in the other was a spear the same length as the sword. I blocked an overhead strike from the sword and immediately learned what the spear was for. A large cut appeared in my shirt, but the attack didn't cut my skin. I thanked the Greek gods for the Curse of Achilles. Nacon whirled around and met Alex's sword just before it slashed through him. "How dare you try to attack a god while his back it turned!"

"Turn around then!" Alex retorted. Nacon growled then disappeared.

"What the-" I heard Annabeth say as she took her invisibility cap off. "Where did he go?"

I felt uneasiness settle in the pit of my stomach, "Don't drop your guard."

We waited in silence for an attack. Seconds passed and turned into minutes; the agony of the wait was nearly unbearable and frustrating. "Where are you?" I questioned under my breath. Seconds later, I saw Alex fall to the ground, a large gash in his stomach.

I could hear Nacon laugh, "Best part is my sword has a special poison on it that takes wounds longer to heal, even with special abilities. Now, who's next."

Alex rose to his feet, his sword in front of him, eyes closed. Annabeth stumbled this time, a gash in her arm. "Annabeth!" I yelled. Then, Alex opened his eyes and swung his sword through the air. I heard the metal of his sword clang against something.

Nacon's voice shattered the silence, "How?"

Alex smiled, "I can hear you." Then, he swung his sword again, only to meet with Nacon's sword. As if shoved by the wind, Alex fell on his back and rolled out of the way as pieces of the pavement flew up from the shattered ground beside his head. Alex stabbed upward with his sword and I saw ichor drip to the ground and cover Alex's sword. Nacon cursed and I saw Alex's shoulder slam into the ground. Alex gritted his teeth painfully as blood flowed out of the wound around Nacon's weapon. "Percy, Annabeth, now!"

I charged at the invisible spot where Alex's bloody sword seemed to be hanging in midair. I swung Riptide and I felt the metal meet fleah, blood, and bone. More blood appeared as the invisible Annabeth stabbed with her dagger. Then, Annabeth and I were flung to the side. I twisted my leg and the invisibility cap fell off Annabeth's head, making her appear. Nacon, no longer invisible, pulled the spear out of Alex's arm and charged at Annabeth, screaming curses I didn't even want to repeat. Annabeth was weaponless, her dagger flew six feet away from her when she fell. Anger coursed through me and I charged Nacon, praying to every god I knew that I would get to Annabeth in time. Desperate, I lunged and tackled Nacon to the ground. He threw me off and rose his sword to try to stab me, but a sword erupted from his chest, which only stunned him. Then, Annabeth stabbed the Mayan god of war directly in the heart. Ichor flowed from the wounds, but Nacon smiled. "You should have let me kill you. Your deaths would have been noble. You will never survive the fight against the other Mayan gods. You will all die."

Alex stated from behind the god, "We will die, but not today."

Nacon cursed with his last breath, then his body exploded, making all three of us fly back a few feet. When I looked up, there was no trace left of Nacon, only the sword and spear, both with bloody tips. I rose to my feet and helped Annabeth and Alex up. "How bad are you hurt?" I asked my two friends.

Annabeth pressed her hand to the gash in her arm, "Other than this, just a few minor cuts and bruises. I'll be fine with a little nectar and ambrosia."

Alex examined his shoulder, then the gash in his stomach. "It's slowly healing. I'll be fine. Nacon was right about the poison slowing down the healing process, but all of our wounds should be healed by tomorrow morning."

I sighed and capped Riptied, making it shrink back to a pen. Alex and Annabeth put their weapons away as well. "You ready?" I asked them.

"We've already came this far." Annabeth stated and Alex agreed.

I nodded and we walked to the bus station building to see if we could catch a ride to Lebanon, Kansas. We paid for the tickets and boarded the bus. Luckily, it was dark and none of the mortals could see Annabeth's and Alex's injuries. We went to the back of the bus and took our seats. Annabeth and I sat together while Alex sat alone and used a little nectar and ambrosia to speed up the healing process. Annabeth did the same. I stared out the window for a while and watched for anymore enemies. Annabeth leaned her head on my shoulder and went to sleep. I looked over at Alex and realized he was asleep, too. _Great, nobody to talk to while I try to stay awake. Oh well, I've done this before. _I thought about what had already happened on this quest and ran the prophecy through my head again. _I'd like to know what kind of creature will get free and who the traitor is. _I glanced over at Alex. _Is he going to be the traitor? No, just because people have labeled him as the son of a traitor doesn't mean that's what he will become. Besides, John Rider didn't even betray Camp Half-blood. He just wanted to protect his comrades. And, after what Alex done today, I don't think he will betray us any time soon. What would he gain if he did? _That was the last thing I remember thinking, because I eventually fell into the darkness sleep offered.


	10. Another Peaceful Bus Ride, Not

**A/N: Here we go again!**

**(Alex)**

Nightmares plagued my sleep that night. I dreamed of being led to a large stone by these strange people and creatures. I never struggled and I didn't know why I didn't. A creature's sharp talons ripped my shirt , making it fall to the ground. One of the strange people ripped long pieces of the cloth from my shirt and put a few of them in my mouth and tying the back, making it like a from of a gag. The strange people motioned for me to lie on the hard stone, and I did, watching helplessly as the restrained my wrists and ankles with thick ropes. I could feel my heartbeat increase as my fear grew and I began to shake a bit, but I forced myself to stop. One strange person stood beside me and began to speak in a language I didn't know. With each word, he rose the long knife in his hands a little higher in the air. I could hear people yelling, but I was too focused on the knife. My breathing quickened as the knife reached the top of it's journey and I felt the cold metal enter my flesh.

I woke with a start, the fear still clinging to me. _What... What kind of screwed up dream was that? _I tried to shake off the memory of the nightmare, but it didn't help, I was still shaking a bit. _Why am I shaking like this? I've been through worse than that. _I looked over at Percy and Annabeth, both asleep in the bus seat. Percy had his arm wrapped protectively around Annabeth, both of them seemed happy. I looked out the window and noticed the rays of dawn were just beginning to break through the darkness. Seeing the light made me feel a little better and I rested my head against the window, looking at the world passing by me. Everything seemed to be peaceful to the naked eye, but only the demigods knew of the war that was about to take place.

My thoughts drifted back to Chiron and how he believed I would betray them all. Eventually, I kind of gained his trust, but I wondered if it would last. _What is I unintentionally betray them? _That thought depressed me and I thought about my dad. _How was it like for you, dad? Am I really going to follow your footsteps through everything, even supposed betrayal and mistrust? I know you didn't betray them, but they think you did. Will I have to go through the same? Will this war be over soon? Will I ever be able to go back to being a normal teenager? _I looked up at the sky for an answer, but, of course, it didn't supply me with anything. I closed my eyes, trying to find a way back to the refuge of sleep, but at the same time, I was too afraid to go to sleep. If I did, I would surely have the dream again. So, instead, I just continued to look out the window. A lot of the passengers were off the bus now, having got off at former stops, so only three other passengers remained. I was glad, because it didn't make me feel like I needed to put my guard up as much. I sighed and closed my eyes again, prepared to get lost in thought when I felt the bus begin a rapid stop. I rose out of my seat a bit to see what was happening, but I didn't see anything as the bus plowed into something, the sound of crunching metal filling my ears. The impact made me flip over the seat and into the one in front of me. The bus began to roll along the road, seats pushing into each other, glass shattering, and people screaming. Finally, the world stopped spinning and the smell of smoke made my senses go on high alert. I tried to move, but found that I was sitting on the floor, my back against the edge of the seat and my chest lodged against the back of the seat in front of me. I freed my arms and tried to move, but found I couldn't. I could feel the blood stream out of my mouth and I knew my ribs must have punctured one of my lungs, if not both. I looked around and saw Percy and Annabeth alive with only a few cuts and bruises. The smell of smoke grew stronger with each second and I knew we had to get out of here, fast. I pushed on the seat in front of me, clenching my teeth painfully.

"Oh my gods, Alex." Annabeth whispered when she saw me.

I glanced back at her, "Don't worry about me. Get everybody else off this bus, there are four other people counting the driver. I'll be fine, just get them out of here safely."

She looked like she was about to protest, but the look in my eyes told her not to. Instead, she and Percy moved to the wounded passengers and began to haul them out of the wreckage of the bus. I pushed on the seat in front of me and the metal connecting it to the floor groaned a bit, but didn't move. The smoke began to fill my lungs and I coughed after every breath I took. Percy and Annabeth returned for the last two passengers and disappeared a moment later. I pushed on the seat again, but only received the same result. The interior of the bus was nearly engulfed with flames and the heat began to make my head spin. Then, I heard somebody crawl into the bus. I still pushed on the seat in front of me and I looked up when somebody began pushing on the seat, too. I thought it would be Percy or Annabeth, but it was neither. "Who are you?" I asked, still choking from the smoke.

"You can ask questions later, just push on the seat." The girl demanded and I did as she said. With our combined strength the seat moved enough for me to wriggle my way free. I heard a loud hissing noise and pushed the girl ahead of me. I then noticed the bus was on it's side, so we had to jump from the side of one seat to another to make our way to the only free exit. Even though my chest burned from the pain, I followed the girl and kept up. She crawled out of the door and reached for my hand. I took it gratefully and let her help me out of the wreckage. The hissing grew louder and louder; the girl and I ran away from the bus. Then, the bus exploded. We were thrown off our feet and landed ten feet away from where we were. I lunged at the girl and used my body as a shield against the falling debris that may strike her. Luckily, we weren't hit with anything. As the debris stopped falling, I looked at the girl beneath me. Her electric blue eyes made time seem to stop, but I pushed that observation aside once I realized I was still practically on top of her.

I scrambled off her, "Sorry, I didn't want you to get hit by the debris. It was instinct."

She nodded, "That's okay, just don't do it again."

"Okay." I said as she rose to her feet, "Who are you?"

She beat the dust off her pants and shirt, "Thalia Grace. You must be Percy and Annabeth's friend."

I nodded, "I'm Alex Rider. How did you know I was Percy and Annabeth's friend?"

"They told me their friends was still on the bus, so I assumed it was you." Thalia said. "How bad are you hurt?"

"I'm already healing. Thanks for getting me out of there." I said thankfully.

She held out her hand, "Well, there's no point in staying here all day. Let's go back to Percy and Annabeth."

I took her hand and she helped me up, "Yeah, you're right." I looked back at the wreckage, "I wonder what we hit."

"What do you mean 'what you hit'?" She asked.

"I felt the bus begin to stop and I saw something pass in front of, the bus hit it, which made it wreck." I replied.

She looked confused, "Well, it happened. I'm just glad nobody was killed."

"Me too." I said as I walked beside her. "Thalia, you're a demigod like Percy, Annabeth, and I aren't you?"

Thalia nodded, "Yeah. How can you tell?"

I shrugged, "I kind of sensed it, I guess. Daughter of Zeus?"

She looked at me, concerned. "How do you know this?"

I laughed, "Well, you shocked me when you helped me up. It was a pretty nasty shock, too, so it was a safe assumption."

"Oh. sorry. I'm known to do that a lot." Thalia said. "Now, let's go see how the others are." We walked toward the others. The passengers were shocked while Percy and Annabeth just remained calm, confused about what happened.

Annabeth smiled at Thalia and I, "Thank the gods you're both safe!" She hugged Thalia, "It's been a while! How are things with the Hunt?"

Thalia hugged her back, pulled away, then frowned. "The Hunt no longer exists. Since the Mayans have attempted to take over, the Hunt was practically destroyed. Since the feud between the Mayans and Greeks began, Artemis has had to lend all of her power to help in the war. We done the same, but it has left the Hunt practically powerless and unorganized. The confusion was just too much. Therefore, it's disbanded."

Saying I was confused was an understatement, "What's the Hunt?"

They explained to me what it was and I nodded, "Okay, but it can be rebuilt, right?"

Thalia nodded, "If the Greeks win, but as of right now the vows the Huntresses have made are considered void. It's like we no longer exist."

I smiled, "The Greeks will win, don't worry. And when they do, you can vow to be a Huntress again."

"You're that confident?" Thalia asked.

Shrugging, I said, "Well, we have to at least try, right? As soon as we find another bus."

Percy looked at me like I was crazy, "Seriously, another bus? After what happened? Sorry, but this is the second time I've nearly been killed on a bus, I don't want to try a third time."

"Third time's a charm." I smiled, signalling to him I was just joking. After what happened, I didn't want to get on a bus ever again.


	11. Misunderstanding and a Torturous Vision

**A/N: Terribly sorry for not updating sooner!**

**(Annabeth)**

We had been walking for hours. Thalia walked beside me while Percy and Alex walked behind us, talking about how their lives were before they knew they were demigods. "Do you trust him?" Thalia asked me quietly.

"Who? Alex?" I thought for a moment, "Yeah, I trust him."

Thalia sighed, "Maybe it's just me, then."

I was confused, "What do you mean?"

"Haven't you been listening to their conversation?" Thalia asked while looking back at Percy and Alex. "He's not telling the truth, I can tell." A gleam appeared in her eyes and she slowed down. Before I could ask her what she was doing, she began to talk to Percy, "Annabeth wants to talk to you. I wouldn't keep a girl waiting."

Percy was surprised, but he walked up to me anyway. "Annabeth, what's going on?"

"I'm trying to figure that one out myself. Thalia doesn't trust Alex, she said he was lying to you while you were talking to him. I have no clue what she's planning. Let's just listen for now." I stated.

A few seconds passed before Thalia began to talk, "So, Alex, you're British."

"Yeah, Accent give that away?" Alex questioned, even though he knew.

"Pretty much." Thalia replied. "Who are you the son of?"

Alex hesitated a moment, "I'm related to Poseidon and Athena."

"No, I mean, who are your parents?"

He hesitated again, "Helen and John Rider."

Thalia nodded her head, "Now it makes sense as to how you are related to both Poseidon and Athena."

"Yeah, I guess." Alex replied.

"How do you like being a demigod?" Thalia questioned.

Alex shrugged, "It has it's ups and downs."

"And, yet, you managed to get used to being in danger this quickly?" Thalia questioned and both of them stopped. Percy and I turned to look at them. Finally, I understood what she meant. If Alex wasn't afraid when he saw the first monster, then that must mean he's been in dangerous situations before.

Percy walked toward them, "That reminds me, Alex. When we first met, you said something about not being a normal mortal."

Alex looked at us, "Look, this quest is not the first time I've been in danger. Percy, when I saw you fighting that monster that night, it was the first monster I saw in my life. I've faced a lot of bad people, that's why I'm so used to danger. As for how I met those people, I'd really rather not go into that."

Thalia glared at him, "I believe we have the right to know."

Alex sighed, "I have nothing against you guys, honestly, I don't. It's just..." He stopped for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. "It's something that's apart of my life now. I have to live with it. Just know that it won't effect any of you in any way. Trust me on that, at least."

"So what, are you a murderer or something?" Thalia questioned.

Before I could tell Thalia she's gone too far, Alex turned toward her, "You don't understand, okay. Don't judge me."

"So you have killed people before." Thalia stated, knowing the answer.

Alex went silent and stared at the ground. For a moment, I thought he was a statue. He began to walk away, in the direction where we just came. Percy told him to wait and walked after him, but Alex took off running. Surprisingly, he was faster than Percy and he managed to disappear from sight within just a few minutes.

**(Alex)**

_They wouldn't understand, there's no way they could. _I thought as I ran, _if they knew what I have done... What have I done to them to deserve this? _I stopped to catch my breath since nobody pursued me this far. _Everybody already thinks I'm a traitor. There is no way to prove that I'm not. What am I supposed to do now? I can't just leave them in the middle of this quest, can I? If I do, will more blood be on my hands? _

The wind blew faintly and I could sense somebody was behind me. Quickly, I turned around and looked at the person behind me. A foreboding feeling lingered around the woman and a long rope hung from her neck. She was beautiful. Black hair, silver eyes, with a rope hanging around her neck. "Who are you?" I asked.

She smiled, "I'm the one that can lead you out of this place. I am Ixtab."

"Lead me out of this place? What do you mean?" I asked and turned to face the woman.

Ixtab began to move toward me, "I can send you to a better place than what you are bound for right now."

"Where am I heading to right now?" I asked.

She was right in front of me now and she put a finger to my lips. I wanted to move away, but I found that I couldn't. Her eyes had me rooted to the spot, showing me what she was talking about. In her eyes, scenes of bloody chambers became a reality.

_I was chained inside one, wounds covering my body from knives, fire,and claws. Blood trickled down my body and dripped onto the floor below. Drip, drip, drip. In front of me, two monstrous looking people help a figure by the arms. The figure looked up at me and I choked out a sob. "Jack." One of her captors pulled out a knife and put it aginst her throat. "No, let her go! Please, let her go!" Slowly, torturously, I watched the knife slice into her throat. I struggled against my restraints as the blood poured from the severed artery in my best friend's neck. "Jack!" _

_She spoke through the blood spilling from her mouth, "You did this to me. It's all your fault." Jack was released and she slumped to the floor on her side, facing me. "Your fault." She whispered as the life slowly began to drain from her eyes and her body convulsed. She changed into Sabina, then Tom, then Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, everybody I knew. _

_Tears streamed down my face as I whispered two words, "I'm sorry." Over and over again, I repeated, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." The two monstrous men walked up to me and the one with the blood-stained knife stabbed me in the middle of my chest, then used inhuman strength to slice down with the knife, cutting through my flesh, muscle, blood vessels, and even organs. An agonizing scream erupted from my lungs from the pain. I could feel my internal organs rupturing, their contents invading into my blood stream. I screamed again and blood flew from my mouth. "Please, just kill me." I begged. Eventually, the blood completely blocked my throat and I couldn't breathe. When I coughed it up and attempted to breathe, more would appear and I inhaled it into my lungs. I was drowning on my own blood._

_I struggled as much as I could, but it was futile. Finally, I passed out from the pain and inability to breathe. However, I could still hear my heartbeat in my head. Thump... thump... thum-... thu-... thu-...th-...th-..._

When I escaped the vision, I found myself on the ground in front of Ixtab, begging for my death while clutching at the place where the wounds from the vision was. Exhaustion and the pain from the vision invaded my mind and body and I couldn't move. My vision began to fade. Ixtab smiled as somebody praised her for her excellent job well-done. My consciousness faded into a world of unpenetrable darkness.


End file.
